HUNDREDS of people - many elderly - are faced with a 40-mile journey to see a doctor at weekends.

HUNDREDS of people - many elderly - are faced with a 40-mile journey to see a doctor at weekends.

Now an MP is demanding action and health chiefs have launched an investigation into lack of medical cover in Mid Wales.

They say the situation is made worse by rising numbers of summer tourists, and admit it is hard to tempt GPs to move to rural surgeries.

The shortage of doctors has left the Tywyn and Aberdyfi area without proper out-of-hours cover and GPs from Dolgellau have been drafted in to help.

Meirionnydd Nant Conwy MP Elfyn Llwyd, said the situation was unreasonable and has called for an urgent meeting with health chiefs.

He spoke after meeting Meirionnydd Community Health Council to discuss the out-of-hours provision in the area.

Mr Llwyd said: "I believe that the current out-of-hours system falls short of what can reasonably be expected. An example was quoted to me of a 97-year old gentleman from the Tywyn area who wanted to see a GP over the weekend and had to travel to Dolgellau.

"I think this is unreasonable and I believe given that an out-of-hours system is almost inevitable that one GP should be centred at Tywyn hospital and the other at Dolgellau.

"In that way the Dolgellau based GP could cover South Meirionnydd and the Tywyn based GP could cover the coast area."

A spokeswoman for the recently established Gwynedd Local Health Board said an investigation had been launched into the circumstances of the incident referred to by Mr Llwyd.

"Until the facts are known it would be inappropriate to comment," she said.